QB Asiantii Woulard says USF in the picture as much as ever, as is NC State

By By Chris Hays | Orlando Sentinel

Asiantii Woulard, QB, Winter Park, photo

JOHSUA C. CRUEY / ORLANDO SENTINEL

Winter Park quarterback Asiantii Woulard says he's still very interested in USF, as well as NC State and possibly a few other schools.

Winter Park quarterback Asiantii Woulard says he's still very interested in USF, as well as NC State and possibly a few other schools. (JOHSUA C. CRUEY / ORLANDO SENTINEL)

After new USF coach Willie Taggart landed a commitment from Fort Lauderdale University School quarterback Michael White last Saturday afternoon, he was not content.

Shortly after adding the first commitment of his USF tenure, which was only about two hours old at the time, Taggart was quickly on to the next quarterback target and former USF commitment Asiantii Woulard of Winter Park.

“He came to visit Saturday,” said Woulard, who had committed to USF in July but then decommitted recently after the firing of former Bulls head coach Skip Holtz.

Taggart told Woulard he plans to take two quarterbacks in the 2013 class and he was hoping Woulard would join White as the other one. If anyone ever thought USF was cold on the Elite 11 MVP, think again.

The Bulls are still interested in his services, “just as much as Coach Holtz. Everything is pretty ,much the same,” Woulard said. “[Coach Taggart] feels he has an offense he feels will fit me perfectly and I feel it will fit me perfectly … so they’re definitely still of interest.”

Woulard also said the commitment of Smith would not make any difference in his ultimate decision, which right now looks to be between USF and NC State, which also has a new coach former Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren.

“It doesn’t matter to me. I’ll come to compete either way,” Woulard said of White’s presence.

Woulard had a great meeting Saturday with Taggart and seemed genuinely excited about the Bulls during a conversation Wednesday night at the Orange County Metro All-Star game, where he was watching former Winter Park teammate and fellow quarterback Jeff Whitted.

Woulard was still on crutches following surgery to repair a broken left fibula. He suffered the injury in the Wildcats’ final game, which was also the final high school game of Woulard’s career. He said he hit it off with Taggart.

“He’s a really cool guy. I liked him a lot,” Woulard said. “We just hung out pretty much. We talked a little bit about me going [to USF], but after that we just really more like hung out. I actually liked him a lot.”

Woulard said the Bulls were always high on his list, he backed off his commitment just to give himself an opportunity to survey the recruiting landscape and do a little more evaluating.

“They were never really out of the picture,” Woulard said of USF, “so everything is really about the same.”

As for NC State, Woulard said Doeren echoed what Taggart had told him about the USF offense.

“Coach Doeren is the same way. He feels I can thrive in his offense just as much as the NIU quarterback did, “He has big things planned for me.”

NIU’s quarterback Jordan Lynch, who will lead the Huskies into a Jan. 1, Orange Bowl matchup with Florida State, had a huge season. He earned second team All-American honors from the Associated Press after racking up 4,753 yards of total offense, including a nation-leading 1,771 yards rushing. He passed for 2,962 yards with 24 touchdowns and only five interceptions. The Huskies are 12-1.

Woulard said he began supervised rehab this week for his injury, which he described as the “fibula was broken in half.” Doctors placed a plate on the bone and inserted screws to strengthen the bone for support and future growth.

“It kind of strengthens it so it won’t break as easily again,” Woulard said of the plate. “They said it will stay there and it will never bother me.”

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound quarterback said he also intends to visit a few other schools in the near future, but did not want to divulge the names until he has solidified plans. He has already made one official trip, which was to NC State.

Woulard will still be making a trip to San Antonio, Texas, the first week of January for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, but he will not participate.

“I’ll be just getting healed and I don’t want to force things,” Woulard said, “so I’ll go out there and enjoy the experience, meet some of the other guys … get another chance to talk with a couple of the Elite 11 quarterbacks again.”

Woulard could decide to commit at the Army Bowl although he has not made that final determination.

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